Delivery Manager

Government Recruitment Service; West of England; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service in Bristol is seeking a Delivery Manager to lead a diverse service delivering permits, certificates and customer guidance under the CITES regime. You will manage a team of about 11, ensuring timely delivery and compliant operations across APHA and partner entities.

The role emphasizes strong leadership, data-informed decision-making and stakeholder engagement to support legal, sustainable international wildlife trade.

Responsibilities

• Lead through managers and specialist teams, setting clear expectations and creating an inclusive, collaborative and psychologically safe culture.
• Oversee the accurate and timely delivery of permits, certificates, customer advice and associated compliance activity.
• Line managing a team of around 11 team members, providing visible and inclusive leadership, setting clear expectations, managing performance and development, supporting wellbeing and ensuring the team has the capacity and support needed to deliver a high-quality service.
• Apply sufficient understanding of the CITES regulatory framework and operational processes to support consistent, legally compliant decision-making, effective quality assurance and the handling of complex or sensitive cases.
• Translate legislative, policy and digital change into robust processes, guidance, training and sustainable ways of working.
• Use detailed operational data to understand demand and capacity, identify emerging pressures and deploy people flexibly.
• Balance business-as-usual delivery with concurrent change programmes, making sound, timely decisions where priorities, timescales and stakeholder expectations conflict.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders and high-profile stakeholders across APHA, Defra group, Policy, Scientific, Legal and Digital teams, Border Force and other delivery partners, influencing decisions and representing operational delivery with credibility.
• Provide clear assurance on performance, risks, workforce and delivery impacts.
• Challenge constructively where proposals are not operationally viable and ensure operational teams are involved early in design and implementation.
• Continuously improve the service to support legal and sustainable international wildlife trade.

Job description

Delivery Manager

Company: Government Recruitment Service

Salary: £35,895 to £38,192 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Bristol

Job type: Permanent

Posting date: 2 Nov 2026

Closing date: 23 Nov 2026

Are you excited by the opportunity to lead a varied service where cases can range from endangered animals and rare plants to antiques and protected wildlife products? Are you a resilient leader who can stay calm, make sound decisions and deliver results when faced with competing priorities and challenging situations? If so, we would love to hear from you!

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Delivery Manager to join our team. You will lead the effective delivery of complex, technically detailed services supporting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This is a fascinating and varied work area where no two days are the same: with cases ranging from live endangered animals and zoo transfers to rare plants, antiques and products made from protected species. You will play a vital role in supporting conservation, enabling legal and sustainable international wildlife trade and help prevent the unlawful movement or exploitation of wildlife.

This is a dynamic role that offers the opportunity to work across a range of activities, with the flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and business needs.

The key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead through managers and specialist teams, setting clear expectations and creating an inclusive, collaborative and psychologically safe culture.
• Oversee the accurate and timely delivery of permits, certificates, customer advice and associated compliance activity.
• Line managing a team of around 11 team members, providing visible and inclusive leadership, setting clear expectations, managing performance and development, supporting wellbeing and ensuring the team has the capacity and support needed to deliver a high-quality service.
• Apply sufficient understanding of the CITES regulatory framework and operational processes to support consistent, legally compliant decision-making, effective quality assurance and the handling of complex or sensitive cases.
• Translate legislative, policy and digital change into robust processes, guidance, training and sustainable ways of working.
• Use detailed operational data to understand demand and capacity, identify emerging pressures and deploy people flexibly.
• Balance business-as-usual delivery with concurrent change programmes, making sound, timely decisions where priorities, timescales and stakeholder expectations conflict.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders and high-profile stakeholders across APHA, Defra group, Policy, Scientific, Legal and Digital teams, Border Force and other delivery partners, influencing decisions and representing operational delivery with credibility.
• Provide clear assurance on performance, risks, workforce and delivery impacts.
• Challenge constructively where proposals are not operationally viable and ensure operational teams are involved early in design and implementation.
• Continuously improve the service to support legal and sustainable international wildlife trade.

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About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.